After school, Mac and Seth made short work of getting the Christmas decorations down from the attic in the garage by tying a heavy-duty tarp at the top of the attic stairs and securing it at a gentle angle to one of the four-wheeler’s handlebars. Box by box Mac sent the dusty boxes down the makeshift chute, and Seth stacked them to the side.
“Last one,” Mac called down.
“Okay, I’m going to take the two big boxes of ornaments in the house to find some to take with us.”
“Untie the tarp first.”
“Yes sir.”
Mac made one last sweep through the attic to be sure he hadn’t missed anything, then untied the tarp from his end. He climbed down the folding attic ladder, then raised it until the door closed with a gentle slap.
He smacked the dust off the knees of his jeans and went inside to wash his hands. Seth was probably making a mess of those ornaments. Mac could hear tissue paper being wadded and glass tapping against glass. He wanted to call out for him to be careful, but sometimes you just had to let things happen. This was one of those times.
“How’s it going in here?” Mac walked over and sat on the couch. He bent over, his forearms on his knees, watching as Seth pulled out ornaments. He had a small pile to his side. “Are those the ones you’re thinking of taking?”
“Yeah. Is that okay?”
“Whatever you like.” Mac looked at the winner pile that Seth had set aside. An ornament painted like a baseball with Seth’s name and jersey number on it, two multicolored glass balls, a glittery snowman wearing a top hat, and a sled made out of popsicle sticks that Mac’s mom had made for Seth when he was little.
“I think I’ll take three. I don’t know how many people are coming. It would be nice if the tree looked really good. Might cheer RayAnne up.”
“That’s true.” Mac sat for a moment, giving Seth time to decide what he wanted to do. “You know, you could take that whole pile with you. We can just take three in, but if you think the tree needs more you can get the rest out of the truck. How does that sound?”
“That’s a really good plan.”
“Are you ready to go?” Mac felt like he’d just been given the best gift in the world. He didn’t mean to rush Seth, but a small part of Mac was a little afraid that this switch in Seth’s enthusiasm about something Christmassy might go away as quickly as it had shown up.
Seth piled the ornaments into a plastic shopping bag, then ran into the kitchen and grabbed his favorite baseball cap off of the bar. “I’m ready.”
“Then, let’s do this.”
As they rode to town, Seth turned in his seat. “Can I ask you something, Dad?”
“Of course.”
“If Mom never left us, but you got divorced like RayAnne’s parents, would I get to still live with you?”
Wasn’t like Mac hadn’t thought about that before. “That’s a pretty big question. I really don’t know the answer to that. Most courts think children should be with their mothers. So I’m not sure what would’ve happened. What I can tell you is as sad as it makes me about the way things happened for us, I am really thankful that you’re here with me. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Me too, Dad.” Seth nodded. “It’s messed up how things like that work.”
Or don’t work. And that his son knew enough to worry about that at all bothered him the most. Genna had been a wild one when they’d met, but that had also been part of her allure. He’d never fully understand why she’d decided to abandon them the way she had.
Her excuse had been simply that she wasn’t happy.
And then she was gone.
He’d been hurt, but his love for Seth was much stronger than the hurt in his heart. He’d pushed his own hurt to the side to care for his son, and to never let him see how torn apart he was. He’d never let Seth down.
Seth was the reason why Mac had been so careful about dating, too. There was no way he’d put Seth’s feelings at risk ever again. He may not be able to fix the past, but he had full control over the future.
Mac circled the block to find a parking spot. From outside he could feel the hive of activity in the bookstore. It looked like most of the kids from school had shown up to contribute to the special Book Bea tree.
He and Seth walked in and got sucked right into the youthful energy that hummed at the left end of the store around the Christmas tree.
Kids snacked and others circled the Christmas tree hanging ornaments. Seth immediately raised his hand in a high-five to Mac, which surprised Mac. He’d seen Seth and Haley do that the last few days.
“This is good.” Seth disappeared into the throng of people with his ornaments, leaving Mac standing there alone.
Mac hadn’t heard this much racket in the store ever. It reminded him of his college days at the bars back at UNC.
Mac veered off toward the register on the opposite side of the store from the kids. He scanned the room looking for Sydney.
Her laugh caught his attention. He loved the sound of her laugh. He turned to see her standing next to a rack of holiday puzzles chatting. Her hands told a story without having to hear a word she was saying.
“Hi, Mac,” Bea said from just behind him.
“Bea? Hi,” She’d caught him off guard, and she had that look in her eye, like she knew he’d been watching Sydney. Caught in the act of staring. Awkward.
“She’s been such a blessing to have around.”
He tried to act nonchalant. He looked back over his shoulder, but she’d moved on. “Sydney? Yeah, I bet it’s great to have some help during the holidays this year.”
“She’s more than that. Very special lady. Not the kind that lets you down.” Bea just smiled and leisurely moved on.
Was that supposed to be some kind of message or something? Mac wondered. Everyone knew about Genna. In the beginning he had so much help that he could barely do anything on his own. He’d finally had to ask people to stop so he could figure it out on his own. But that had been a long time ago, and people seemed to respect Mac for his relationship with his son.
A tap on his shoulder made him break free from Bea’s insinuation. He turned around and Sydney stood there with a cup of green punch in one hand and a cookie in the other. Actually, it wasn’t just any cookie. It was one of Cookie Doe’s famous snowflake fortune cookies.
“Hey, there. For me?”
She nodded.
“Thanks. I’d say the tree trimming event is a huge success.”
She rose on her toes, leaning in, and talking loud over the noise. “It’s a hit! You missed Bea singing ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ a little while ago. She was a hoot. Even got RayAnne up there with her.”
“Sorry I missed that. How’s RayAnne today?”
Sydney lowered her gaze. “Jon is such a jerk.”
“Was it as bad as RayAnne thought?”
“He’s a coward. We traded emails. He’s already on his way to Paris with his girlfriend.”
Mac sipped the punch. He didn’t want to fan this flame, but he agreed with her. The guy seemed like a jerk.
“He’s going to come on Christmas Day to see her.”
“Wow. So from a two-week skiing vacation to a one-afternoon visit. That’s a heck of a trade off.”
“On the bright side, RayAnne will be here for the Christmas caroling, and honestly I would have missed her like crazy.” She looked around at the crowd filling the store. “I never would’ve made the commitment to help Bea if I’d known RayAnne was going to be home, but I can’t let her down now. I’ll do my best to make it a special holiday for RayAnne. I’ll get creative. Thank goodness she seems to like hanging out here at the store with me.”
“She can come and spend the day with us whenever she likes. Just let me know. I can pick her up from home or here. Won’t be a problem. She and Seth are becoming good friends.”
“Thanks. One of the other girls’ moms is willing to help, too.”
“Just speak up, Sydney. People around here stand by each other. It’s one of the best perks of living in a small town.”
“You’re right. I’m not used to that,” she said. But she sure did like the sound of it.
“It won’t take long. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”
She looked him in the eye. A slight smile played on her lips. “I’m lucky to be here.”
He felt like he was the lucky one right now. “How much longer is this going to go on?”
“Supposed to close at five, but it’s almost that now. I thought we’d let it run until about six. A lot more people showed up than I expected. It’s been a really strong sales night, too.”
“Good. I’m guessing RayAnne will be the talk of the school after break.”
“It was good timing for something positive to happen for her. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the parents. I think they’re enjoying it as much as the kids are.”
“How does the tree look?”
“It’s a complete and utter beautiful mess,” she said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Bea imposed herself on the two. “Have you seen the tree, Mac?”
“No, not yet. I might just wait and see it tomorrow when there’s no crowd.”
Bea’s hearty laugh carried over all of the noise. “Crowds aren’t everyone’s thing,” she said. “My Henry was the same way.”
“A good man.”
“The best,” Bea said. “You know we’re going to be working on a huge batch of my special chocolate-dipped pretzels at Sydney’s house Monday night. You and Seth should come. The mayor is asking us to double the number we usually make. We could use the help.”
“We’d be happy to help,” Mac said. “I’d heard that the pre-sales were going gangbusters.”
“Yes, that’s why we need more treats.” Bea’s hands flounced around as she spoke. “Many hands, light work, and all of that.”
“If you don’t mind,” he added, glancing over at Sydney. “Since it’s at your house.” Did Sydney just give Bea a passing stink eye? “You don’t mind, do you?” he asked Sydney.
“Of course not. Bea’s right. So much quicker with more help.”
“Good. And we still need to talk about the details for Friday,” he added.
“Friday?” Bea patted them both on the arms. “Y’all just get to talking that through. I’m going to go check on something.” She left with a skip in her step and a smirk.
“Sorry,” Sydney said. “She’s relentless.”
“No worries. That’s just Bea.” He shifted his weight, wanting to talk about Friday but feeling nervous all of a sudden in the busy room. He cleared his throat. “It’s so loud in here. Want to step outside so we don’t have to shout at each other?”
Sydney motioned him to follow her to the front porch. “When you walk outside, you can really tell how loud it is in there.” She opened her mouth and worked her jaw, trying to pop her ears.
Mac said, “I think the louder the kids got, the more they cranked up the music. After three hours, it’s probably at full volume.”
Blue sky gave way to a soft purple evening as the sun set. “It’s getting dark so early these days.” She leaned against the rail looking out over Main Street. “It’s pretty though.”
“I was thinking maybe y’all could come over around three on Friday. We can have an early dinner. Nothing fancy. I’ll cook on the grill or something.”
“That would be nice. What can I bring?”
“Not a thing. I could come and pick y’all up, or—”
“Don’t be silly. I can drive over. I’m learning my way around town pretty quickly.”
“Okay, then three.” He pulled a card out of his shirt pocket. “Here’s my address. The weather is supposed to be clear. So I was thinking an early supper, and then we can horse around a little on the back property. I’ve got a couple of four-wheelers we can ride.”
His tension rose at her hesitation. Was she getting ready to back out?
“And before you say you’re too busy or make up an excuse, or anything besides yes, it’s just a couple parents hanging out for a nice meal and letting their kids burn off some energy.”
“If I said no to that RayAnne would absolutely disown me for the rest of her life. She loves that kind of stuff. She’s been dying for a four-wheeler. Not that it’s going to happen.”
He did know. But it was Santa intel. Could he tell her that? “Well, then you can’t say no.”
“As a mom I might have to.”
“Why?”
“I worry about her safety. Those things are dangerous.”
“They can be. You’re absolutely right. But I’ve got safety equipment, and rules. That should alleviate your worry. At least a little.”
“Not really,” she said. “Worry. It’s what we do about our kids. It’s love.”
“You’re right. How about I let you set extra ground rules if you want. You can be the honorary queen of my back yard. Am I begging?”
“Getting close,” she laughed. “How can I pass up being the queen?”
“You can’t. It’s your duty to the people.”
“Well, then I guess we’re in.” She lifted her hand in one of those royal elbow-wrist waves. “But if I get scared we have a signal to stop without me looking like the bad guy. Deal?”
She had a sassy side to her that intrigued him. “Deal.”
“Excuse me. Let me say goodbye to these folks.”
He watched her as parents began to usher their kids out of The Book Bea to head home and start their winter break. Seth was talking to RayAnne over by the Christmas tree. He was glad they were getting along so well. Maybe Seth could make RayAnne’s adjustment in Hopewell a little easier. Mac had lived here his whole life, so he’d never experienced changing schools, but he’d certainly seen the struggles his students had gone through when they transferred in mid-year.
Seth walked up and tapped his arm. “You ready to go home, Dad?”
“Sure. Yeah. Just waiting on you.”
* * *
Seth was so amped up after the tree trimming at The Book Bea that Mac had almost headed to the tree lot right then and there. If it hadn’t been his night to play Santa, he would have. Instead, they went straight home and shoved all of the furniture to one side to make room for the Christmas tree that they didn’t even have yet.
Now the living room was pretty much a mess. Boxes of Christmas decorations and the couch were shoved against one wall. It sort of looked like the Abominable Snowman from Rudolph had taken their house and given it a good shake like a snow globe.
Small price to pay for Christmas joy.
Someone knocked at the door, and Seth leapt to his feet. “That must be Haley.”
“Is it that time already?” Mac had completely lost track of time. He needed to get a move on or he’d be late.
“Hi, Mac.” Haley looked around the room, looking a little horrified. “Wow, y’all have been busy.”
And from her tone, not in a good way. “Looks like way more work than it is. We’re excellent mess makers,” Mac teased.
“I see that. They teach you that in college?”
“If they did I’d have gone for my Masters in it.”
“I’m just a natural at it,” Seth added.
“Got his old man’s sense of humor, too,” Mac said. “Guess I better hit the road.”
Mac grabbed his coat and drove to Santa’s Village. He had just enough time to pick out a Christmas tree for their house before he took his shift as Santa for the evening. He found a tall blue spruce that had that perfect shape, the one that spelled Christmas in his mind. He paid for the tree and then carried it over to his truck.
Still smelling like pine, he walked through the Village to the dressing rooms. As he passed excited children clinging to their parents’ hands, he thought of RayAnne and the disappointment he’d watched unfold beneath her eyes. It was those types of Santa moments that tugged on his heart in a whole different way.
Once he got that red suit on and took his seat in that chair, he was Santa. He never tired of the children’s hope-filled wishes.
The line was already long when he walked by on his way to his dressing room, but Rebecca had everything in order by the time he took his spot in the big chair.
Rebecca: It’s crazy tonight. Biggest night ever.
Here we go. 
Rebecca: First five.
Tommy and his sister, Kate
Sandy
Lizzy and Libby—twins
Santa: 
“Ho-ho-ho. Tommy?” Mac arched his brow, and as soon as the magic twinkled in little Tommy’s eyes, all felt right.
And two hours later, there was still a line as far as he could see, even though Rebecca had texted him to let him know that she’d stopped allowing more people in line thirty minutes prior.
When Mac looked at the new text from Rebecca his heart tightened. The last name on the next group of five read
SETH (yes, yours.)
How had Haley talked Seth into a Santa visit? Something he’d tried to do himself for years.
He scanned the line of children waiting and saw his boy standing there. He could barely hold back the joy in his heart.
Mac took a longer than normal pause before the next kid. He needed to give them each his all even though his stomach was in knots.
Would Seth recognize him beneath the getup?
This sure wasn’t the way he wanted him to find out about this part-time annual gig.
Would Seth feel betrayed? There was no time to call in a replacement, and if Mac pretended to be sick to avoid the risk, he’d let all of the children still in line down. He could never do that.
He gave Rebecca a nod, and one by one he went through the line until Seth was next.
Rebecca led Seth to Mac, only Haley was still nowhere in sight.
He and Rebecca had worked together long enough that an inconspicuous motion was full communication. And the little nod and hand motion she’d just sent him said that Seth was here alone.
Mac’s paternal side flared, but it wrestled with his holiday heart to stay in character.
Mac gave his best ho-ho-ho and motioned Seth closer. Hoping that the hair, the beard, the glasses, and the fat red suit might be enough to keep Seth from recognizing him, he kept his head tipped slightly away.
“Haven’t seen you in a very long time. You’ve been on my nice list every year, though.”
“Yes, sir. I try.” Seth didn’t sit on his lap. Instead he lounged against the giant chair, leaning his body away from Santa and constantly scanning the crowd. “Pretty sure I’m getting ready to get kicked off of that nice list, though.”
Did Seth recognize him?
“Ho-ho-ho. Now, maybe we should talk about that.”
“Have to tell you,” Seth said staring down at his shoes. “I don’t believe in Santa. I mean I’ve been trying to figure out if you’re real or not. I’m pretty sure you’re not. I mean, it’s nearly impossible. But I don’t know what else to do, so just in case you are … I could use some help.”
“I see.”
“My mom left me and my dad a long time ago.”
“Yes.” The pit in Mac’s stomach squeezed, leaving only enough space for guilt to seep in. He felt like he was eavesdropping on his son’s private thoughts.
“It’s okay,” Seth said. “We’re men. We got it. We’re good. But there’s a new girl. Her dad really let her down. Never saw anybody so sad in all my life. Could you do something nice for her? She’s ten. Her name is RayAnne. And she likes baseball and four-wheelers. Like me, but a girl. Her dad keeps messing up. She’s not so lucky lately. Can you help her?” Seth shrugged and scanned the line. He turned his gaze away. “This is probably stupid. Maybe a cool present would help.”
“That’s real thoughtful of you, so—” Mac caught the slip. He’d nearly said son. “—Seth. Sometimes things don’t fix feelings though. You know that, right?”
“Yes sir. I do. But you didn’t see her. We have to do something to be sure her Christmas is good. I’ve been sad about Christmas for a lot of years since my mom left. I don’t want her to be like that.”
Hold it together, Mac thought. All he wanted to do right now was hold Seth in his arms. He took a moment, trying to steady his voice. “I understand. I’m sure we can find a way to make sure your friend knows that she’s loved and that she has a good Christmas. You just gave her the best gift of all though.”
“Me? No, I haven’t done anything.”
“You care enough to ask for help. That’s big. Extra special. She’s very lucky to have a friend like you.”
“We’re not friends yet. I just met her. But I get her. And my dad, well, he’s really good. He’d never leave me.”
“She may not know it yet. But you are, indeed, a very special friend to her.” Mac had never been more proud of Seth. This was the kind of caring that you couldn’t teach. “What is it that you want for Christmas?”
“I pretty much got everything I need. You don’t have to fake this Santa stuff with me.”
“I’m not.”
Seth stared at him so long that Mac was certain he’d recognize him.
Instead, Seth drew in a breath. “A new computer game, maybe. But Dad and me do a lot of stuff. I’m good. Oh, and the lady that is living next door. Haley. Be sure her husband gets home soon. Maybe drop off some socks for her. She’s always wearing crazy, cool socks. She’s really nice.”
“Look at my elf.” Mac said, pointing to Rebecca. “Do I know crazy socks or what? I got that covered, no problem. I’ll get her to pick them out.”
“Cool.”
“You’re a very good boy. Can I ask you why you thought you’d be on the naughty list?”
His cheeks reddened. “I snuck out. Rode my bike here. My dad doesn’t know. And Haley thinks I’m sleeping.”
Mac’s emotions were torn between pride and concern. The bottom line was Seth was okay, and his heart was in the right place. If this wasn’t the Christmas spirit, he didn’t know what was.
He leaned forward, his voice feeling shaky. “That’s serious, Seth. You realize that was dangerous, too.”
“I know.” He hung his head. “Especially if you’re not real. But I had to take the chance. Dad said it was bigger than us. I didn’t know what else to do.”
How the heck was he supposed to handle this?
“Tell you what. I’ll take care of those requests. Even leave you on the nice list, but we’re going to arrange for a ride home for you.”
“I’m not supposed to ride with strangers.”
“You’re not supposed to ride your bike out of the neighborhood, either.” Mac hoped he hadn’t just blown his own cover.
Seth’s mouth dropped open, then snapped shut.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll write you a Santa pass for this one time. But you have to promise that it will never happen again.”
“I promise.”
“Let’s get a picture.”
“I don’t have any money, and my dad would kill me if he knew.”
“This one is just for me. To put in my personal things.”
“Okay.”
Rebecca took the picture.
“You go stand right next to that door, and wait. I’m going to have my lead elf, Rebecca, help with your ride home.
Seth walked down and stood next to the exit while Mac spoke with Rebecca and explained the situation.
“You’re kidding me!” Rebecca said, wide-eyed. “I’ve got it covered. I’ll get Wes from Wheelies to take him home. He’s printing the pictures tonight, but I can do that. Don’t worry. We’ll make sure he gets home safe.”
Mac worked his way through the rest of the kids, then he and Rebecca turned off the lights for the night. He drove home with the Christmas tree in the back of his truck, feeling like he may have just gotten the best Christmas present any parent could ever receive. Sure, Seth broke a rule. A pretty darn serious one, but Mac had done his share of that as a kid, too.
When Mac let himself into the house, Haley was watching a movie in his living room. He wondered if Seth had come clean with her.
“Hey,” Mac said.
Deep lines creased in her forehead. “Hi there. He told me everything. Are you speaking to me?” she whispered.
“Of course.” Mac laid his keys down.
She nodded. “He’s upstairs. For real this time. He apologized to me for sneaking out. Begged me not to tell you.” She whispered. “But then you’re Santa. You know everything.”
Mac breathed in deeply. “Yeah. The reasons were all good. But damn he could have been hurt. Not cool. He did it for the right reasons, though. It was sweet. A little girl he knows, her father cancelled their Christmas plans. He was there. She was sobbing. Heavy scene.”
“Ouch.”
“Apparently it hit a little close to home for Seth. It’s been years since Genna left.”
“He did mention a little something about that.”
“I’m doing the best I can.”
“You’re a great dad. It’s not about you, Mac. It’s about Seth, and he’s getting to the age where he realizes his life is different than most of his friends. Probably even more noticeable in a small town.”
“How am I supposed to handle all of this? I feel like I should do something as a parent, but I’m also proud of him. He was only thinking of others. And this is the first year since Genna left that he’s shown any interest in the holiday.” As upset as he was that Seth would take a risk like sneaking out and going all the way across town, he also knew he’d never forget this moment. The indication of what kind of man he was raising, the kindness in his son’s heart, was something he didn’t want to mar, either.
“Let me talk to him next time I see him,” Haley said. “We’ve really created a bond over the last few weeks. I can help you get your message across without you having to give yourself up in the process.”
“Thanks. Yeah. I appreciate it.”
Haley went out the side door and crossed the lawn to her parents’ house.
Mac watched until she was safely inside, then closed the door and locked it. He walked out into the garage. There were so many things out there that he and Seth did together. Sports, tools, half-done projects.
He rustled around the garage until he found the bucket he used for the Christmas tree each year. He carried it outside to the spigot to fill it; water splashed and lapped at its sides.
It was a clear night. The stars twinkled, and the night felt still. Once the bucket was full he put it next to the house, then dragged the tree from the bed of his truck. A burst of pine scent filled the air as he picked up the tree and put it in the bucket to hydrate until they were ready to take it inside.
The tradition of piling gifts under the Christmas tree would probably never go away. Glossy paper, dazzling ribbon, and the excitement of the hidden surprise, but to Mac the shining moments were the intangible ones. The ones you had to hold close to your heart because there was no other way to take a snapshot of those memories—like the smell of pine after carrying the tree.
* * *
School was officially out for Christmas break, so Mac and Seth both slept in, then spent most of the morning going through boxes of lights. They tested each strand, tossed anything broken, and made a list of items they needed to replace so they could zip into town to get them.
Mac had thought going to town to pick up three strands of lights was going to be a quick and easy task. Unfortunately, technology had changed all that. Finding just a regular old plain strand of Christmas lights to match what he already owned had been darn near impossible amid the LEDs, and mini, micro-mini, icicle, and chasing lights.
That sure made him feel old. And he wasn’t.
He and Seth finally settled on buying enough new lights to fill the whole tree so they’d all match. They drove home singing to Christmas tunes.
Mac had just finished putting the tree in the stand when there was a knock on the front door.
Seth ran to answer it.
“Hey there,” Haley’s voice came in from the hall. “Now that is one amazing tree,” Haley said, nodding with approval.
“Dad always picks out the best ones. Do you and your husband get a live tree or have a fake one?” Seth asked.
“This would’ve been our first Christmas together. So I don’t know yet. We’re going to celebrate when he gets home, but there won’t be any real trees available then, so I’m pretty sure we’ll have an artificial one this year. But next year I think we’ll buy a real one together. I like the real thing.”
“Me too,” Seth said. “They smell good.”
Mac tightened the anchors into either side of the tree until it was standing straight, then crawled back out from underneath.
“Can you get a pitcher of water for the tree, Seth?”
“Sure, Dad.”
Haley watched Seth until he turned into the kitchen. “I just wanted to check to see how things were going after last night.”
“He doesn’t know that I know, if that’s what you mean.”
“Good. I think that’s the best plan. He’s a good kid. Don’t worry.”
Mac glanced down the hall. “I’m a dad. It’s what we do.” At that moment Sydney’s concerns echoed in his mind. “Worry. It’s what we do about our kids. It’s love,” she’d said to him.
Haley ran her hand through her hair. “I promise you he will not slip by me again. I really feel awful about this.”
“You know I don’t blame you for that.”
“I know, but I do feel bad about it. I’ve always wanted children, but maybe I’m not cut out for it.”
“You’re going to make a great mother one day.”
He realized now that playing Santa to RayAnne’s four-wheeler dreams might not be the best way to be helpful to Sydney. Being a parent wasn’t easy even when everything went right. Adding to her stress was not his plan. He’d tread lightly about the four-wheeler this afternoon. If Sydney wasn’t comfortable, he would find something else to do besides hot dog it on the ATVs. There were other options.
He pictured Sydney riding on the back of his ATV, hanging on and laughing when he went too fast. Had the invitation ever really been about RayAnne, or more about having a chance to see Sydney again? He wasn’t sure.
He’d better figure it out quickly, because they’d be here in less than an hour.